How to Make a Drainage Ditch So Water Does Not Enter the Basement

Walk the area around the home to identify the problem sides. Note which sides retain puddles after a rainfall, and any soft, waterlogged areas. If the basement has flooded in the past, consider that side of the houses a problem area as well.

Outline a path for the ditch measuring 10 feet from the house using a tape measure, wooden pegs and string. It should run parallel to the house, through the problem areas. If two or three sides of the house have drainage problems, shape the ditch to form an L or a U around the house beginning at the highest side and ending at a safe outlet, like a street gutter.

Dig out a canal measuring 8 inches wide and 24 inches deep using a shovel. Press a flat tamper against loose dirt at the bottom to make it firm and stable.

Set aside enough of the dirt you removed to pour a 3-inch layer back into the trench.

Fill the bottom of the canal with gravel. Rake it into a gradual dip so the center of the canal is the deepest.

Lay 4-inch perforated PVC drain pipe along the center of the gravel with the perforations facing down. Connect lengths with T connectors on straight sections and with elbow connectors on curves.

Add another 6 inches of gravel and repeat the gradual dip in the surface.

Mix the remaining dirt with sand and fill the trench with a 6-inch layer of the mixture. The sand will make it easier for water to seep quickly through to the drain tiles.

Plant reed, Bermuda or another flood-resistant grass over the canal to slow the flow of water. Add plants or grass to the newly created slope around the house to prevent erosion.